Thread: Clean out fuel tank?

For things like this, I keep a set of "cotton swap forceps" in the toolbox.
Mine are about a foot long, and are perfect to pinch a scrap of rag, and wipe way down where even the smallest hands can't reach.
It's just so much easier to do this, than the take the tank off.

Now if I were going to take the tank off, I'd blow it out with air, and if that didn't help, I would probably swish some denatured alcohol in there, dump it out, and try the air again.

How 'bout it Dutch, are you gettin' as big a chuckle out of this as I am?????
How's that go............ROFLMAO!!!!

Hey buddy, I posted on page 1 if you could post exactly why washing it out with a hose wouldn't be good. I'm asking to see if you know something I haven't thought of. Not a sarcastic reply or asking you to prove something because I think you're wrong. In asking honestly what the negatives would be if done exactly how I explained it on page one.

It's a walk behind Exmark. Tank is under the hand controls with the line coming out of the bottom and very easy to get to. It's not tucked in on the frame very tightly. I mean if it was like that I could see the chance of water pooling up in a corner not draining out all the way and causing problems.

I mean, you obviously know of a problem because you responded by saying "NOT!" Why not, specifically , is why I'm asking you now.Posted via Mobile Device

Hey buddy, I posted on page 1 if you could post exactly why washing it out with a hose wouldn't be good. I'm asking to see if you know something I haven't thought of. Not a sarcastic reply or asking you to prove something because I think you're wrong. In asking honestly what the negatives would be if done exactly how I explained it on page one.

It's a walk behind Exmark. Tank is under the hand controls with the line coming out of the bottom and very easy to get to. It's not tucked in on the frame very tightly. I mean if it was like that I could see the chance of water pooling up in a corner not draining out all the way and causing problems.

I mean, you obviously know of a problem because you responded by saying "NOT!" Why not, specifically , is why I'm asking you now.Posted via Mobile Device

A metal tank no way, but you stated its a plastic tank, so nothing wrong with water, had to pull one of the tanks on my case tractor to clean out, and used water to flush it out.

The reason water is a bad idea is because any water you don't get out can combine with the ethanol in gas and cause something called phase separation, where the gas turns to a goo-type mixture that can clog everything up.
It is just better not to introduce water into the system anywhere.
Several other options include taking the tank off, swishing a little gas around and dumping it out - do this several times and you should get most of it. You can dump the gas on some cardboard and burn it to get rid of the gas. After that you can do the rag on a stick routine to get what's left.
A different way of doing it involves attaching a clear plastic tube to a dowel and starting a siphon. Drain the gas that comes out into another can. Aim the siphon around the tank sucking up all the debris. When you are done, you can pour the gas that got siphoned out thru a coffee filter and catch all the crap you siphoned out. Then you can reuse the gas.